IAS Shah Faesal on Article 370, Kashmir, & Pakistan’s Terrorism

IAS Shah Faesal is the 2009 topper of the UPSC civil services exam, the first Kashmiri to do so. He has since gone on to briefly become a politician and a niche public figure. In this episode, he talks about:-The effects of the abrogation of Article 370-The link between Bangladesh’s independence and terrorism in Kashmir-His faith in evidence-based policy makingYou can follow him on his socials:Twitter: https://twitter.com/shahfaesalTimestamps 0:00 - Intro 1:39 - Faesal is a Fulbright scholar 5:32 - Lessons from Kennedy School of government 7:00 - The magic of evidence-based decision making 12:05 - Running experiments in policy-making 15:10 - Failure needs to be socially accepted 20:47 - Flattery is ingrained in Indian society 24:07 - What made him leave his service? 26:20 - Is the Lolab Valley really that beautiful? 29:18 - Growing up during the start of terrorism in Kashmir 33:05 - Interference in Kashmir is fundamental to Pakistan’s policy 40:45 - People don’t know the history of article 370 50:15 - A glimpse of post-article 370 abrogation Kashmir 58:00 - Kashmir’s destiny was decided in ‘47 1:01:47 - Why do people oppose the abrogation of Article 370? 1:06:40 - Does Faesal feel like he’s obligated to talk about Kashmir? 1:11:35 - How is working in a ministry different from administering a district? 1:12:14 - Formal education needs to focus on philosophy 1:16:22 - The importance of good mentors 1:18:46 - UPSC is a test of mental fortitude 1:26:45 - Conclusion